Let’s stop there for a moment, because I’m already extremely insulted. CSPI, are you insinuating that I am incapable of thinking for myself and parenting my own child? Are you insinuating that if my child “nags” (their word, not mine) me to go to McDonalds, I have no choice but to say yes, because I’m clearly such an awful parent? I can’t think of anything else that you’d be insinuating. Clearly I need a bullying group like you to step in and take care of me and my son! You know what, since you feel you should have a hand in raising him, maybe you should be paying child support.
But CSPI isn’t done insulting parents. McDonalds offers healthy options, CSPI acknowledges that. All advertising features these healthy options. CSPI acknowledges that as well. But that’s not good enough, because, according to CSPI, the whole point is to lure kids inside where they will be served unhealthy options. Wow, McDonalds, who knew you were so devious? Luring my child into your restaurant, using your brainwashing techniques to make sure your desire to serve him unhealthy foods overrides my aforementioned shoddy parenting skills. I’m sure those apple slices and milk cartons are just props in your scheme to make our children fat! How stupid is that, really? It’s like saying “well, uh, we know you serve healthy options, but uh, it’s a ploy! More parents buy fries than apples! Ban the Happy Meal toy!” Again, CSPI is insulting my ability to steer my child in the right direction and override his unhealthy choices. My son doesn’t drink soda. He hates it. He only gets the low-fat chocolate milk. Yes, he gets the fries, and he eats about two of them. He also always gets the 4 piece nuggets, and eats about three of them. Also, McDonalds isn’t cheap anymore. We don’t go every day. We don’t even go every week. So even if he did eat the whole unhealthy shebang, over the course of a week it evens out. My doctor told me, and I’ve read this in books as well, look at what your child eats over a week or month, not over the course of a day. McDonalds has done their part by offering healthy options. The rest is up to the parents.
What will the grinches who would steal Happy Meal toys take away next? Video games geared towards children? Will they be stopping the production of Star Wars: Clone Wars Lego game because some children bug their parents to let them play games for 12 hours straight every day instead of going outside to exercise? Ban character-shaped fruit snacks? There’s no way those things are totally healthy.
I wouldn’t have a problem if these “Mommy the world” groups were set on educating rather than taking over. Educate parents about making healthier choices. But don’t try to make my choices for me. I didn’t even know who CSPI was until today. Now I am declaring them an enemy, a threat to my personal freedom to raise my child and make decisions for myself. I haven’t been this annoyed with an overly dramatic “think about the children!” group since Tipper Gore and her idiotic PMRC bull.
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{ 1 comment }
My roommate is a McD’s junkie (I eat nothing on their menu but the apples), so we go there 2-3x a month. My kid’s meal is a burger (which I have mixed feelings about ground beef from chains, but it’s not often), fries (which she does love) & the drink (we get the Hi-C, but I fill it myself & it’s 1 part Hi-C & 2 parts water & only filled 3/4ths of the way). She gets a pack of apple slices for her dessert with no caramel. She eats maybe 1/2 the burger, all the fries, 1/2 the drink & all her apples. She usually has something else to eat at home a bit later since she doesn’t eat much of the meal.
She was getting the toys for a while, but I think most of them are crap, so now I check on what the toy is & if it’s one I know she’ll play with & love I’ll get it, if not we order the meal with no toy. I have a friend who has never gotten her kids a single toy from any kid’s meal, so obviously parents can pick & choose what fits their values.
This group is like those parents groups that wanted to ban rap or heavy metal, they take one tiny thing that may or may not be valid for a minuscule bit of the population & declare it ought to be law for all. Fuckin’ douche-canoes!
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